The 8 Cornerstones of High Performance

The skills that will make you successful in college

are the same skills that will make you successful in the workplace

Most people change jobs about every three years (U.S. Bureau of Labor).
Whether you have a major or youre undeclared, a complete set of
employability skills will see you through any number of career changes.
The 8 Cornerstones of High Performance clearly identifies the key skills to
ensure success in the workplace. West Texas A&M University will help you
develop the best all-around set of career skills. No matter what happens in
your life, the 8 Cornerstone skills will take you wherever you want to go.
The 8 Cornerstones include: attitude, career vision, self-management skills,
fundamental skills, workplace skills, contacts, experience, and personal life.

The 8 Cornerstones of High Performance

These Cornerstones will help you become a high performer and get a job with a high-performance
salary.

1. Attitude

positive outlook
motivation
initiative
work ethic
persistence

discipline
coping with change and stress
willingness to learn
commitment to quality

Positive outlook, motivation, Initiative: Opportuntiyisnowhere. Did you read trait as opportunity is
nowhere or opportunity is now here? Its the old is the glass half-empty or half-full question. Many
employers say that the number one trait they look for is a positive attitude.
Work ethic, persistence, discipline: These are arguably the most important workplace skills, next to
a positive attitude. Having a good work ethic means doing whatever it takes to get a job done
regardless of the obstacles.
Coping with stress and change: Employers love people who view problems as challenges and
setbacks as opportunities for growth.
Willingness to learn: Look at new situations as learning opportunities, and be willing to learn a new
skill if the situation requires it.
Commitment to quality: This is caring to do it right, from the smallest details to the largest task. If
you set employment standards for your college work, youll be developing a habit of producing quality
work. Few people would give there boss a proposal that was thrown together at the last minute, so
why not work on a paper as if youre preparing if for an employer?

2. Educational and Career Vision

education plans

career plans

If youve decided upon a career, youll be able to:

a.
b.
c.
d.

gather educational and career information thats relevant to your profession,

get a clear picture of how your education will lead to a concrete job,
discover the skills youll need to be successful in college and in the workplace, and
make a clear educational and career plan and follow it.

If you dont know which career you want to pursue, thats fine; you can focus on developing the
employment skills that apply to all careers. Whenever you are ready to make your decision, youll
have the other essential employment skills in place.

3. Fundamental Skills

written communication skills

verbal communication skills
listening skills

creativity
critical thinking skills
problems solving skills

Communication skills: Good written, verbal, listening, and presentation skills are essential to most
professions and are highly valued by employers.
Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills: Its important to be able to think critically,
evaluate situations, collect information, and produce solutions independently.

4. Self-Management Skills

time management
priority setting

decision making

Time management, priority setting, decision making: Self-management ties in closely with work
ethic and discipline and is a distinguishing characteristic of high achievers. Good self-managers know
what needs to be done and gets done on time. These kinds of people must be hard to find Time
Management is the most delivered professional development seminar in industry today.

5. Workplace Skills

teamwork skills
computer skills
technology skills

professional skills
career competencies

Teamwork skills: A vital aspect of any job is the ability to work well in a group and deal effectively
with all personality types. Leadership skills are also a part of group dynamics.
Computer Skills, technology skills: Its a rare job that doesnt involve at least some computer work.
You can greatly enhance your skill portfolio by learning as many different software programs and
operating systems as possible. Many job candidates are selected because of their computer skills.
Professional skills, career competencies: These are the career-specific skills youll need for your
chosen profession. If you havent decided which career is for you, concentrate on developing the
other employment skills universal to all careers.

6. Contacts

networking
reference

mentors
industry contacts

Networking, references, industry contacts: Its been said that 85% of all jobs arent advertised, so
its the people with the right contacts who are often successful in getting these jobs. The old saying,
its not what you know, its who you know has more than a measure of truth to it.
Creating contacts within your industry can start now. Networking could involve your classmates, your
faculty and their contacts, your career resource center, professional associations, conferences and
events, and informational interviews with professionals within your industry. Another excellent way to
meet people in your field is to job shadow.

7. Experience

part-time work
internship placements
volunteer work

projects
unrelated work experience

Direct and indirect experience: Because employers want someone with experience, your work
history should contain as much relevant experience as possible. To gain direct work experience,
intern in the field through formal experiential education programs offered by the university. Work part
time or do volunteer work in your field. Volunteering is an ideal way to gain experience. Find out
which events or conference are being held within your chosen field and volunteer your time at as
many of them as you can. Approach a company youd like to work for and offer your services. Parttime and/or volunteer work is often that foot in the door that leads to a full-time job.

8. Personal Life

family
friends

health
lifestyle

Its Important to maintain balance in your life and make sure you leave time for family, friends, and a
healthy lifestyle.